will work together for the good, of God's people. In the great day, the righteous will fee the following words of the apoftle verified--All things are yours: whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Chrifl's; and Chrift is God's. LEVI. Religious Intelligence. TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON- GAZINE. S cold water to a thirty number of Baptift elders fettled on this tract; but none of the Congregational or Prefbyterian order. On the fixth of October I was inftalled over the church of Chrift in this town, by a council of Congregational and Prefbyterian minifters. On the fifth of January laft the Rev. Hugh Wallis was inftalled over the church on the weft hill in Pompey. And on the second inftant the Rev. Nathan B. Darrow was ordained over the church in Homer. In each of these places the churches are respectable for numbers, their confeffions of faith are diftinguishing on the doctrines of grace; and they have been unanimous in their calls to their refpective paftors to fettle with them. A fo is focieties in a far country. Men whofe hearts delight in praying for Jerufalem, will rejoice in her profperity. Knowing that the good people in different parts of New-England, have for feveral years contributed liberally for the fupport of miffions to the new fettlements and to the heathen; and believing it will gratify their feelings, gladden their hearts and ftimulate to future exertions; it has been tho't expedient to communicate for publication the following ftatement of facts and circumftances relating to the religious intereft of this part of the country. have prefented competent terms of fupport to their respective minifters. The councils on those ordination occafions were harmonious among themselves on the important points of the Christian religion; and, in their examinations of the candidates they entered with precifion into their experimental acquaintance with the truth and power of religion, as well as into their doctrinal knowledge and fentiments in theology. The appropriate exercises on thofe occafions were folemn and interefting, efpecially to those more immediately concerned, and many of the dear children of God were filled with great joy for what they faw. There was experienced, as I truft, at those times, a good degree of the divine prefence of the fpirit of love and The military grants, fo called, included in the counties of Onondaga and Cayuga, is a tract of country about feventy miles in length and fifty in breadth; and contains probably at prefent about 30,000 inhabitants, who have fet-prayer; and many will praise God tled in this country in the course to all eternity for the wonders of of about twelve years. Before his goodness and grace which he the first of October laft, there has manifefted amongst us. To was one refpectable minister of the view the wildernefs which fo lateDutch reformed church and a ly fat folitary now eminently be come a fruitful field-to confider "Connecticut Evangelical Mag"azine, a fuccinct account of the "inftallation at Aurelius and 66 Pompey and of the ordination "in this place, to be published "by them if they fee caufe." In compliance with the foregoing vote, I make to you the statement of these animating events concerning the growing ftate of religion amongst us. And I would further add, that there are already formed in the above mentioned tract of country, three prefbyterian and fourteen congregational churches, all of which I believe to be in a ftate of flourishing harmony. But notwithstanding our pref ent profperity, there is still room and great calls for miffionary affiftance on this ground. Many churches and focieties are yet incompetent to fupport gospel preachers; and two or three minifters who are fixed to particular places can do but little, in their occafional vifits abroad, over such an extenfive territory. The fuccefs which has attended past exertions, and the uniform fervor of gratitude expreffed by the good people in thefe fettlements, we Notwithstanding it be a truth that God worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will, yet he works by fuch ways and means as beft to answer his purpose and moft fully to bring into view his character. We have no reason to believe that these pleafing circumstances would have taken place as they have, if it had not been for those important miffionary efforts which have been made in our country. Many who have contributed for the fupport of miffions may now view numbers of their friends, brethren and children uniting with them in the fame religious obfervance of pray-hope may have a claim on the fuer, public worship and ordinances ture exertions, benevolence and of the gofpel. This they could prayers of our pious friends in the not have done had they withheld old fettlements, and especially on their contributions or reftrained thofe who have a principal agency their prayers on miffionary fub- in the direction of the miffions. jects. Thefe circumstances were viewed fo important and the account of them fo acceptable to the pious readers of the Magazine, that the Ecclefiaftical Council at Homer on the 2d. inftant voted unanimously," That, to gladden the hearts of our Christian "brethren with a view of our re"ligious profperity in this part "of the country, the Rev. Da"vid Higgins make out and for"ward to the Editors of the That miffionary exertions and prayers may yet abound more and more, and that fuccefs may attend all fuch exertions, is the prayer of your friend and servant in Christ, DAVID HIGGINS. Aurelius, State of N. York, Feb. 14, 1803. Extract of a letter to one of the Editors, from his correfpondent in Rutland (Weft Society) Vermont, dated February 17, 1803. "THE Lord has of late made | and is now making furprifing manifeftations of his love and power among us, in fubduing the hearts of finners to the fceptre of Jefus. The attention of people is greatly called up to the things of religion. It is fuch a time as I never faw before. We have conferences almost every evening, in one part of the parish or another. Our meetings are folemn-There are no outcries-but it feems like the "ftill, fmall voice." Numbers of thofe who, to appearance, were the fartheft from religion, are now rejoicing in God. Sometimes the work feems as if it would carry all before it. Oppofition has been made in various ways, but, as yet, to appearance, has been totally in vain. In Pittsford, the town north of this, a fimilar work began about fix months ago-fince which time about 100 have made public profeffion of religion, in that place. The first visible appearance of this work among us, was about the middle of November. In January, upwards of 20 joined with the church, and more than a dozen ftand as candidates for admiffion. Thus, after 18 years of deadnefs and darknefs, we have really a time of refreshing; for when the Lord builds up Zion he Attempts to propagate the gospel among the Indians in New-England, &c. [Continued from p. 370.]. N NUMBER VIII. CHAPTER II. EAR the clofe of the preceding number an account was given of the first conférence of Mr. Eliot, and his companions with an affembly of Indians in the vicinity of Roxbury; and of the encouragement he met with to purfue the work he had begun. This firft vifit was on 28th of October, 1646. Upon the 11th of November following, they gave the Indians another meeting by appointment, and found a larger company met together than before. Mr. Eliot began first with the children, and taught them these three queftions and anfwers: Q. 1. Who made you, and all the world? A. God.-Q. 2. Who do you expect fhould fave you from fin, and hell? A. Jefus Chrift. Q3. How many commandments has God given you to keep? A. Ten. He afterwards preached about an hour to the whole company concerning the nature of God, and the neceffity of faith in Jefus Chrift for the procuring his favor. He informed them likewife of what Jefus Chrift had done, and fuffered for the falvation of finners, and what dreadful judg ments they must expect, if they neglected the falvation which was now offered to them. The whole company appeared very ferious; and after fermon, liberty being given them to ask any questions for their information; an old man prefently stood up, and with tears in his eyes, afked, "Whether it was not too late for fuch an old man, as he, who was near death, to repent, and feek after God?" Another asked, "how the English came to differ fo much from the Indians in their knowledge of God, and Jefus Chrift, fince they had all, at first, but one Father ?" Another enquired, "How it came to pafs, that fea water was falt, and river water fresh ?" Another, "That if the water was higher than the earth, how it comes to pafs, that it does not overflow all the earth?" Mr. Eliot and his friends spent feveral hours in an Kkk fwering these, and fume other plied foon, not only with his questions, and in the evening re-grammar, but with catechisms, turned home; the Indians telling them, that they did much thank God for their coming, and for what they had heard; they were wonderful things to them." Upon the 26th of the fame month, they met the Indians a third time; but the company was not fo numerous as before, because the Powows had diffuaded them from coming to hear the English minifters, and threatened others with death; but thofe, that were prefent appeared to be very ferious, and feemed to be touched with Mr. Eliot's fermon. Two or three days after this meeting, Wampas, a wife, and fage Indian, with two of his companions, came to the English, and defired to be admitted into fome of their families: He brought his fon, and two or three other Indian children with him, begging they might be educated in the Chriftian faith, which the English granted. At the next meeting all that were prefent, offered their children to be catechifed and inAtructed by the English. Mr. Eliot's care for the fpiritual good of the Indians appeared in the cleareft point of light by the pains he took, as fpeedily as his other labors would permit, to tranflate the bible, and other books upon religious, and moral subjects into their language. I do not learn, from any writings in my hands, at what time he began to tranflate the facred fcriptures, or any other books upon divine fubjects: But as fchools were inftituted at an early period, after the commencement of his miffion; it feems probable that they were fup * Neale's hift. of N. England, vol, I. p. 244. and other fmall treatises in their own tongue. Tranflating the bible was a work of great labor; but great as it was, he was willing to endure it for the fpiritual benefit of his Indians-detesting the doctrine of the Romish church, that "ignorance is the mother of devotion"; and fully fenfible, how neceffary it was, that the natives fhould have the holy writings in their hands, that they might make better progrefs in acquiring Chriftian knowledge, and fo be under better advantages of becoming rooted and grounded in the faith. Mr. Neale obferves, that Mr. Eliot tranflated into the Indian language, primers, catechifms, the practice of piety, Mr. Baxter's call to the unconverted, feveral of Mr. Shepherd's compofures, and at length the bible itfelf, which com * There appears to be a difference between Dr. Mather, and Mr. Neale, with respect to the time of translating and publishing the above books. The latter feems to reprefent, that a number of fmall books were tranflated, and published, before the bible was Dr. Mather's pleated and printed. words are, "The bible being justly made the leader of all the reft, a little Indian library quickly followed: For befides primers and grammers, &c. we quickly had the Practice of Piety in the Indian tongue" &c. It feems rather improbable, that when schools were fet up, as they were million began, he thould neglect for at an early period after Mr. Eliot's eighteen years, or more, to publish for the ufe of fchools, as well as private families, any fmall books of divinity in the Indian language, as he was fo good a maiter of it, and fo heartily engaged to promote their inftruction and edification. It is rather to be fuppofed, that Dr. Mather, through inadvertence, made a mistaken reprefentation-an error, from which it may be prefumed, few, or none, who write much, are, |